Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title of the Invention:
" LINEAR STEERING TRUCK
Background of the Invention
1. The Field of the Invention
5The present invention relates to the field of trucks for railroad cars, and in
particular, to steerable trucks for railroad cars.
2. The Prior Art
The wheels which are used on railroad trucks are, almost universally,
formed with conical tapered profiles. That is, the diameters of the wheels
10decrease, with the portions having the smallest diameter facing outwardly,
relative to the railroad car. In addition, rims, having overall diameters
substantially greater than the largest diameter portion of the tapered wheel
surface, are located at the innermost portions of the wheels, and placed on the
truck axles, such that the distance between the rims of the wheels on an axle
15(collectively, "wheel set") is slightly less than the distance between the inside
edges of the rails.
In prior art conventional railroad trucks, the axles would be fixed relative
to the truck. Typically, there would be provided two trucks situated adjacent the
ends of a railroad car. Each truck is connected to the railroad car by a short,
20very large diameter (typically 14 or 16 inches) cylindrical post extending
downwardly from the carbody, which is received by a "bowl" mounted generally
centrally relative to the truck. The center post in such a typical prior art
configuration would typically have been configured to permit a certain amount
of pivoting of the truck, relative to the railroad car body. As a practical matter,
25the large frictional forces generated by the large surface contact area between
the post and the bowl, and the tremendous weight of the carbody, means that
the amount of pivoting will be small, and the resistance to pivoting will be great.
As a railroad car having such prior art trucks would enter a curve, the
difference in the radii of curvature of the arcs being followed by the "inside" and
30"outside" wheels would force the axles of the wheel set to adjust by yawing.
The natural tendency of a single axle wheel set, in a curve, is to assume a
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posture is which the axle "points" to the center of curvature of the curve. Thismovement of a singie axle may be referred to as "going radial". In a prior art two
wheel set truck with fixed axles, the axles would not be free to assume this
described posture independently of one another, and the truck as a whole would
5 be forced to rotate about the center of the truck. This condition would createhigh stresses on the wheel sets and the truck, increased wear on the truck
components, and increased rolling friction, resulting in increased fuel
consumption as a result of the additional energy which had to be expended to
keep the railroad cars moving.
An additional drawback to prior art truck configurations was a result of the
flexibility which permitted the truck to pivot about the center post during turns.
Since the wheel profiles were (and are) conical, during straight line travel, there
would be (and is) a tendency of the wheels of a single wheel set to alternately
oscillate on their respective rails between "high" and "low" positions on the
15 respective wheel profiles. This oscillation would translate into a force tending
to cause the truck, as a whole, to pivot about the center post, thus causing thetruck, and the car body, to describe a sinusoidal path along the track. This
phenomenon is commonly called "hunting". This instability starts at low speeds
and can lead to unacceptable lateral wheel force, acceleration and frequency,
20 unless constrained. The instability transfers rolling energy into undesirable lateral
energy which could create rolling resistance, lading and car damage, and wheel
and track wear.
A typical prior art truck configuration would comprise two longitudinally
extending (i.e., track-wise extending) side frames, with a transversely extending
25 bolster attached to the side frames (the "three-piece truck"). The axles of the
wheel sets would be mounted fore and aft of the bolster, with the axle ends
being generally fixed relative to the side frames.
Even though nominally rigidly constructed, such a truck configuration
would, under sufficient loading (such as during curves), deform. Typically, this30 deformation would take the form of the side frames, bolster and wheel sets
skewing relative to one another to form a parallelogram, as the forces exerted on
the wheels push the axles to seek yawed positions through the curve. Such
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parallelogramming is believed to be a common cause of railroad car derailment
at low speed in curves.
.. Accordingly, it can be seen that making trucks rigid and mounting them
rigidly to car bodies (in an effort to eliminate hunting), and providing truck
- 5 pivoting and/or flexibility, to permit truck or axle yawing or steering in curves,
can and have created a design impasse for the creation of an effective three
piece truck.
Numerous attempts have been made to produce trucks which satisfy the
requirements for efficient rolling during both straight runs and curves. Such
10 attempts have included the provision of resilient or elastic members in the side
frames and/or bolsters, pivot-mounted axles and side frames with damping
apparatus like shock absorbers, and various forms of cross-bracing and the like.Such prior art configurations typically have resulted in truck structures which are
costly, heavy, and/or overly complex and prone to failure or requiring extensive15 maintenance and replacement of components.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a truck which is
configured to permit and accommodate the axles' natural tendency to go radial,
so as to permit more efficient and less damaging rolling action in curves.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a truck which is
20 configured to have a reduced tendency to hunt, during straight run travel, so as
to reduce the damage and rolling inefficiencies associated with hunting.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a truck having the
characteristics sought, which has a simplified and efficient configuration.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in
25 view of the present specification, claims and drawings.
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Summary of the Invention
The present invention is a truck apparatus for railroad cars. At least two
of the axles for the truck apparatus are configured to be able to move so as to
5 go radial, relative to the center of curvature, when the railroad car travels
through a curve. A prompting apparatus provides that the axles go radial in sucha way that the movements of the axles are symmetrical with respect to each
other, and with respect to an imaginary centerline extending from one side of the
truck to the other side.
In addition, the prompting apparatus is configured so that the amount of
movement of the axles is linear, throughout the range of movement of the axles
and in direct proportion to the amount of increasing curvature.
Damping apparatus are also provided which cooperate with the prompting
apparatus, to ensure that the axles of the wheel sets will undergo radial
movement substantially only during curves, so as to reduce hunting and
oscillatory movements when the railroad car is in straight line travel.
The present invention also includes an improved axle bearing construction
which is configured to accommodate pivoting of the axles throughout a full rangeof angular movements.
In addition, the present invention also includes an improved side frame
construction, which permits substantially independent support for each of the
axle ends, for equalization of the loading to all of the wheels of the truck.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein at least one of the
axle bearing support members is operably configured to pivot, in a plane
extending substantially horizontally, during said driven movement of said axle
bearing support member, the steerable truck apparatus further comprises guide
means, operably associated with the at least one axle bearing support member
and the bolster member, for operably constraining the movement of the at least
one axle bearing support member to a substantially predetermined arc of
movement.
The guide means preferably comprise at least one lateral strut member
operably connecting the bolster member and the at least one axle bearing support
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member, the at least one lateral strut member further having a first end and a
second end; a pocket operably disposed on the bolster member, operably
configured for receiving one of the first and second ends, the pocket further
being operably configured for accommodating precessional movement of the at
5 least one lateral strut member, relative to the bolster member; and a pocket
operably disposed on the at least one axle bearing support member, operably
configured for receiving the other of the first and second ends, the pocket further
being operably configured for accomrnodating precessional movement of the at
least one lateral strut member, relative to the at least one axle bearing support
1 0 member.
The first and second ends of the lateral strut members have substantially
spherical configurations, and the pockets on the bolster and the at least one axle
bearing support member each include at least one substantially concave shoe
member for receiving at least a porticn of one of the first and second ends of the
15 lateral strut members.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the pinion
members has first and second ends, and a circumferential surface extending
around a longitudinal axis, with at least one set of first gear teeth disposed on
the circumferential surface at a position substantially midway between the first20 and second ends, for engaging the at least one idler gear member, and at least
one set of second gear teeth positioned substantiaily adjacent at least one of the
first and second ends of the pinion member, at a position angularly removed
about the circumference from the at least one set of first gear teeth, for engaging
the pinion rack member; and the at least one idler gear member has a
25 circumferential surface, and first set of gear teeth, for engaging the idler rack
member, and a second sei of gear teeth operably disposed at a position angularlyremoved about the circumference from the first set of gear teeth, f-or engaging
the pinion member.
o
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is an exploded top perspective view of the linear steering truck
apparatus according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a top, perspective view of the linear steering truck apparatus
according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the prompting apparatus for the linear
steering truck, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 4A is an exploded perspective view of the bracket, idler and pinion,
torque member and steering arm, for the steering mechanism for the truck
apparatus of the present invention, according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention;
Fig. 4B is an assembled perspective view of the components illustrated in
Fig. 4A;
Fig. 4C is a partly exploded perspective view of the rack members, the
pinion and idlers, for one side of the truck apparatus of the present invention,according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the linear steering truck, according
to the present invention, showing the axle movement capability of the truck;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the prompting apparatus;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the axle bearing adapter apparatus;
Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the pedestal and side
frame construction of the linear steering truck;
Fig. 9A is a perspective view of a support spring;
Fig. 9B shows an alternative support spring construction, both assembled
and unassembled;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the prompting apparatus,
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 1 OA is a perspective view of a portion of the prompting apparatus,
according to an alternative embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a portion of the stiffness apparatus of Fig.
10, taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 10;
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Fig. 1 1 A is a sectional view of a portion of the stiffness apparatus of Fig.
10A, taken along line 11A-1 1A of Fig. 10A;
Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the stiffness apparatus of Fig. 1 1, during
steering, taken along line 12-12 of Fig. 10;
Fig. 1 2A is a sectional view of the stiffness apparatus of Fig. 1 1 A, during
steering, taken along line 12A-12A of Fig. 10A;
Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of a component of Fig. 12 showing it
unassembled;
Fig. 14 is an exploded, enlarged perspective view of a lateral strut;
Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a lateral strut;
Fig. 16 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the truck
apparatus, with a portion of the bolster cut away to illustrate the torque member
beneath;
Fig. 17 is a schematic illustration of the mechanics of "bump steering" of
a truck configured according to the principles of the present invention, in which
an axle corresponding to a pinion rack is vertically displaced;
Fig. 18 is a schematic illustration of the mechanics of "bump steering" of
a truck configured according to the principles of the present invention, in which
an axle corresponding to an idler rack is vertically displaced.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms,
there are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, several
preferred embodiments, with like parts designated by like reference numerals andwith the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the
invention to the embodiments illustrated.
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a linear steering truck 20
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Truck 20 includes bolster
21 and two side frames 22. Bolster 21 is preferably configured in the general
shape of a hollow rectangular box, and is provided with gudgeons 180, which
are set in pairs at opposite ends of bolster 21. The gudgeons 180 of each pair
are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of a side frame 22,
so that a side frame 22 can be received between each pair. Gudgeons 180 are
provided with apertures 181, which align with apertures 183 in side frames 22,
when side frames 22 are received between respective pairs. Pintles 184 are
insertably received in respective aligned apertures 181,183, so as to mount sideframes 22 in supported, pivotable relation to bolster 21.
Pedestals 23,24 and 25,26, rest on axles 27,28, upon which wheels 29,
30,31 and 32 are fixed. Springs 33,34,35 and 36 rest in seats 37,38,39 and
40, in pedestals 23 - 26, respectively, and support side frames 22. Truck 20 is
preferably suitably configured so as to be connected to a carbody (not shown)
by any suitable means, such as a conventional post (not shown) and bowl 19
combination, such as are known in the art.
Lateral struts 42,43, 44 and 45 are pivotably connected at their outer
ends to pedestals 23 - 26, respectively, and are pivotably connected at their
inner ends to bolster 21, by suitably configured pockets, such as pockets 46,47.See also Figs. 14 and 15, for enlarged, detailed views of a representative lateral
strut. The lateral struts 42 - 45 transmit lateral forces between the pedestals and
the bolster. Loads on the steering components are thereby reduced.
Each lateral strut, such as strut 42 (Figs. 14,15), is configured as an
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elongated body 130, having spherical end members 132,134 at opposite ends
thereof. One end (e.g., end member 132) of each strut is received in a pocket,
such as pocket 46 (as also seen in Fig. 1). Four pockets are located on the
bolster, and one pocket (190, 191,192,193) is situated on each pedestal (23,
24, 25, 26), respectively.
Each pocket may be configured to be generally rectangular, with four side
walls 140 - 143, and with an open top 145 and bottom wall 146. Each pocket
has a slotted side wall, such as side wall 141, with an upwardly opening slot
150. The inner faces 152, 153 of slotted side wall 141 and opposing side wall
143, respectively, are formed with a small included angle between them, so that
faces 152,153 are farther apart at top 145 than at bottom 146. In the other two
side walls, notches 147 are provided on the inner faces.
In order to facilitate receipt of a spherical end member 132 within a
pocket, two shoe members 160,162 are provided for each pocket. Each pocket
will be provided with a taper shoe 160, and a split shoe 162, having an upwardlyopening slot 163. Each of shoes 160,162 will have a spherical depression 166
on one, inner, side, for receiving the spherical end member. The opposite side of
each shoe member will be planar, to smoothly engage the respective inside face
of the respective side wall.
The taper shoe 160 will preferably be configured to fit between the inner
face of the side wall 143 opposite the split side wall 141 of the pocket and thespherical end member of the strut, for carrying compressive loads from the strut.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer face and the inner face
(excluding the spherical depression) of taper shoe 160 will not be parallel, butinstead will have an included angle between them of less than 7~. The outer
face and the inner face (excluding the spherical depression) of split shoe 162 will
be parallel, preferably. The split shoe 162 will preferably be configured to fitbetween the inner face of the split side wall 141 of the pocket and the spherical
end member of the strut, and receive and surround a portion of the elongated
body of the strut and the inner surface of the spherical end member, for
absorbing tensile loads exerted along the strut. In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the shoe members will be fabricated from materials such as forged or
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cast steel or iron. Preferably, the inner faces of the shoes, at least, will have
smoothed, locally hardened surfaces, for enhanced durability and low friction
characteristics .
By having the inner faces of side walls 141, 143 describe an upwardly
5 opening included angle, the shoes are forced into close fit around the spherical
end member of the strut. An adjusting spring 168, the ends of which are
configured to be received in notches 147, is configured to exert a downwardly-
directed force against the taper shoe 160. Spring 168 will, however, permit
limited vertical movement of taper shoe 160, in response to vertical loads being10 transmitted through the strut in response to movement of the respective pedestal
to which it is attached. Since the taper shoe is itself wedge-shaped, with its
thickest portion at the top, spring 168 will cooperate with the taper shoe to keep
the assembly of the spherical end member, and the shoes in place within the
pocket, thus keeping each strut in place, during movement of a truck 20. Split
16 shoe 160, being essentially planar, will be permitted by its configuration, to
closely "follow" spherical end member 132 of the strut, and taper shoe 160, as
they undergo the limited vertical movement previously described.
The length of the struts and the positioning of the pockets on the bolster
and the pedestals will be selected, relative to the dimensions of the other
20 components of truck 20, according to conventional design techniques, so that
the motion of the outboard ends of each strut will align its respective pedestalto closely follow the motion of the axle journals, through their ranges of lateral
and vertical motion. As can be readily comprehended, in the absence of the
lateral struts, the axle bearing ends of the respective pedestals would otherwise
25 tend to be moved laterally as a result of forces exerted on the axle bearings from
the axles, the force in turn being exerted by the wheels onto the axles, as the
truck moves along the track. The lateral struts will act as guide members to
constrain the movement of the axle bearings, and, in turn, the pedestals
themselves, to movement along generally predetermined arcs, and the lateral
30 struts will absorb and redirect at least a portion of the compressive and tensile
forces which wouid otherwise be borne by the axle bearings. Thus, compressive
and tensile forces on the axle bearings will be greatly reduced, and bearing life
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1 1
will be increased, as such forces will instead be partially borne by the struts, the
shoes and the pocket structures.
Two torque members, such as torque member 48 (which may be in the
form of a generally cylindrical tube, are suitably mounted beneath bolster 21, for
5 free rotation about an axis parallel to but beneath bolster 21. For example, each
torque member 48 may be supported, such as by bearings 49, 50, within U-
shaped support members 200, which are provided within the interior of bolster
21 . Preferably, two spaced apart support members 200 are provided at each end
of bolster 21, extending upwardly from the bottom interior wall 201 of bolster
21. Fixedly attached to each torque member 48 is a steering arm 91, which is
connected, by a mechanism described hereinafter, to the carbody.
An improved stiffening apparatus 90 has been provided, for reducing
"hunting" as illustrated in Figs. 10 - 13. At the free ends of steering arms 91
are apertures 92, which have beveled interior contours 93. Carbody attachment
15 170 is provided, which preferably is fixedly attached to the carbody with
fasteners, such as bolts, through holes 17 1. Longitudinal members 95 and
lateral member 96 describe a "U" shape, connecting from one steering arm 91
longitudinally along the carbody, and then laterally across the centerline of the
car and then longitudinally to the steering arm 91 on the opposite side of the
20 truck.
Carbody attachment 170 connects steering arms 91. The joint created
at the connection allows each steering arm 91 to rotate, move laterally and
vertically and rotate freely, while holding its longitudinal position rigidly. The
joints are constructed with spring-loaded members to create damping of any
25 periodic motion which might otherwise tend to occur.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of carbody
attachment 170 changes along its length. Longitudinal members 95 preferably
are channels, to increase stiffness and prevent buckling. Lateral member 96
preferably is L-shaped in cross-section, for stiffness and easy attachment to the
30 carbody. The two right-angle bends 172 between the longitudinal and lateral
members are a single web, to allow adequate lateral and vertical of the
longitudinal members 95 at the connections to the steering arms 91. The
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relatively low stiffness of the webs in the bends 172 leads to a reduction in
stress, increasing the fatigue life of the attachment member 170.
Steering arm spherical ends 94 engage spherical sockets 105,107. A high
rate spring 108 loads the sockets against steering arms 91, creating an energy
absorbing joint. The inner surfaces of sockets 105, 107, and the outer faces of
spherical ends 94 are substantially congruently spherical, and have the same
radius of curvature. Accordingly, spring 108, pressing against socket 107,
creates a substantial friction force between the inner, concave face of socket
107 and spherical end 94, and between the inner, concave face of socket 105
and the other "side" of spherical end 94. During a steering action, as illustrated
in Fig. 12, the axial spacing, along J-bolt 97, between socket 105 and socket
107 does not change, and there is no force exerted by the elements which would
tend to cause spherical end 94 to return to the neutral, non-steering position
illustrated in Fig.11. Accordingly, the stiffness mechanism of Figs. 10 - 13 has"neutral equilibrium", tending to remain in whatever position it is left in, until
altered by forces being transmitted up lever arms 91 from the pinion and idler
gear mechanism.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the inner surfaces of the
sockets and the outer faces of the spherical ends could be provided with non-
spherical (i.e., non-circular in cross-section) mating surfaces, but rather could be
provided with elliptical or parabolic, so that when the spherical ends are rotated
from their non-steering positions, the sockets would be pushed apart, against
the force exerted by the springs. When the steering movement is concluded, and
the spherical ends return to their neutral positions, as a result of the movement
of the lever arms 91 back to their original, non-steering positions, the socketswould be assisted in their axial movement closer to one another by the exertion
of force by the springs.
In either embodiment, the joints between longitudinal members 95 of
carbody attachment 170 and steering arms 91 would be formed, in part, by J-
bolts 97. J-bolts 97 engage longitudinal members 95, at slots 175 and apertures
176, pass through corresponding apertures in sockets 105, steering arm
apertures 93, sockets 107, loading springs 108, washers 109 and locking nuts
-
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13
1 10.
When a railroad car having a truck 20 with one of the foregoing
mechanisms is travelling along straight track, the springs 108 will act to hold
steering arms 91 in their upright (neutral) positions, thus preventing the
5 prompting mechanisms from spontaneously moving the axles to alternating
"radial" positions. In addition, apparatus 90 will help to prevent pivoting of truck
20 generally, relative to the car body, to help prevent the sinusoidal tracking
movements which the truck would otherwise undergo, as a result of the lateral
hunting of the wheel sets caused by the conicity of the wheel contours.
When a curve is encountered, the rotation of the car body relative to the
truck will cause alternate pushing and pulling forces on the members 95 (which
are positioned to opposite sides of the truck center line). At the other end of
each longitudinal member 95, under the combined forces being transmitted
through the wheels, axles, racks and gearing, and from the pushing and pulling
of the rods, steering arms 91 will pivot from their neutral positions (Fig. 11). In
Fig. 12, for example, longitudinal member 95 is being pulled from a neutral
position. The torque exerted upon steering arms 91 from longitudinal member
95 and torque member 48 causes arm 91 to pivot, in turn, causing torque
member(s) 48 to rotate, permitting the radial movement of the axles. The
beveled contour 93 of aperture 92 permits arm 91 to move from a position
perpendicular to longitudinal member 95. As the railroad car exits the curve, the
spring force will tend to return the prompting mechanism to its neutral
configuration, by pushing sockets 105, 107 against spherical ends 94, and
tending to cause spherical ends 94 to rotate back to their neutral positions, thus
tending to push steering arms 91 back to their upright positions, and tending tokeep them in their upright positions.
An alternative stiffness adding mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 1 OA-1 2A,
in which elements having like configurations and functions have been given the
same reference numerals as in Figs. 10-13. As illustrated in Figs 1 OA-1 2A, rods
95 are mounted on a crossbar 96, which is fixedly attached to the car body (not
shown). Each rod 95 is slidably affixed to cross-bar 96, passing through an
aperture 97. Springs 98, 99 are contained between cross-bar 96, and nut 100
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14
and flange 101 (both fixed with respect to rod 95), and resiliently position each
rod 95 relative to cross-bar 96.
The foregoing structure may be provided in addition to the following
structure. At the opposite end of each rod 95, an annular plate 103, a spring
104, and another annular plate 105 may be mounted, all of which are positioned
between crossbar 96 and the upper end of one of arms 91. Between the upper
end of the arm 91 and the end of the respective rod 95 are another annular plate107, another spring 108, plate 109 and nut 110. All of spring 98, 99 and 104,
108, when in the neutral positions illustrated in Figs. 11A and 12A are in a
partially compressed state.
When a railroad car having a truck 20 with the foregoing mechanism is
travelling along straight track, the springs 104,108, and 98,99 (if provided), will
act to hold arms 91 in their upright (neural) positions, thus preventing the
prompting mechanisms from spontaneously moving the axles to alternating
"radial" positions. In addition, apparatus 90 will help to prevent pivoting of truck
20 generally, relative to the car body, to help prevent the sinusoidal tracking
movements which the truck would otherwise undergo, as a result of the lateral
hunting of the wheel sets caused by the conicity of the wheel contours. When
a curve is encountered, the rotation of the car body relative to the truck will
cause alternate pushing and pulling forces on the rods 95 (which are positioned
to opposite sides of the truck center post (not shown). If the springs 98, 99 are
not provided, the pushing and pulling forces will be immediately acting.
Instead of the stiffness adding mechanism of Figs.1,10-13, or Figs.1 OA-
12A, steering arm 91 could be replaced, in an alternative embodiment of the
invention, by a simple crank 51 (Fig. 16), which might be attached, such as by
a simple pivot, or a U-joint, to linkage arms 53, which would be attached at their
remote ends, to the carbody. Cranks 51, which, when the truck 20 is in a
straight line travel configuration, would likewise extend straight upward, through
elongated apertures 52 in bolster 21. While the crank and linkage arm
configuration of Fig. 16 would not provide the damping which mechanism 90
provides, the other steering functions of truck 20 would not be otherwise be
affected. In Fig.16, the struts 42 - 45 and pockets 46, 47 for receiving the ends
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of the struts 42, 43 are illustrated schematically, the details of same being
illustrated and described in further detail with respect to Figs. 14 and 15.
The interrelation of the pedestals, axles and side frames is illustrated in
Fig. 2. The side of truck 20 not seen in Fig. 2 is arranged substantially as a
mirror image of the side shown in Fig. 2. Rack portion 54 of pedestal 25 rests
upon segmented idler gear 59, on one side of pinion 58 and another segmented
idler gear (not shown) that is disposed on the other side of pinion 58. Rack
portions 55 of bifurcated pedestal 26 rests upon pinion 58, which is affixed
adjacent the outer end of a torque member 48. The idler gears are supported for
rotation by shafts 64, 65, which are integral with the idler gear and are mounted
in bracket 66. Bracket 66 is held in place by the idlers interlocking with racks54 and 55 and pinion 58, so that the weight of the idler gears, and bracket 66,
as well as any downward vertical loading on same, is transmitted through torque
member 48, through support members 200 and into bolster 21. Bottom wall 201
of bolster 21 extends the width of truck 20, and is part of bolster 21. As
previously stated, side frames 22 are pivotably mounted to bolster 21 via
gudgeons 180 and pintles 184.
Figs.4A, 4B and 4C illustrate the assembly and cooperation of the pinions
and idlers of the steering mechanism. Gear set 210 (Fig. 4B), for one side of a
truck 20, comprises segmented idler gears 62, 63 and segmented pinion 61.
Pinion 61 has axially spaced apart toothed segments 61 A and 61 B plus a pair ofopposed toothed segments 61C and one (not shown) diametrically opposite to
61C. Toothed segments 61C and the one opposite it are radially offset from
toothed segments 61 A and 61 B. Idler gear 62 has toothed segments 62A and
62B which are radially spaced apart. Idler gear 63 has similarly disposed toothed
segments 63A and 63B. Brackets 66 receive, in apertures 212, the ends of
shafts 68, 69 of the idlers. Brackets 66 are held together, to surround the idlers
and the pinion, by bolts 220, spacers 222 and nuts 224. Assembly is
accomplished in a readily discernible manner. The idlers are received by their
shafts in one of brackets 66. Pinion 61 is in place between the idlers.
The large diameter apertures 230 in each of brackets 66 are large enough
in size to clear even the toothed segments 61A, 61B, 61C and the one (not
-
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16
shown) that is diametrically opposite 61 C of pinion 61, through the simple
expedient of passing pinion 61 through apertures 230 (or rather passing brackets66 over pinion 61) in an off-center orientation, then realigning the components,once the toothed segments of pinion 61 have been cleared. Then the other
bracket 66 is fitted over the opposite ends of the shafts, and over pinion 61 ina similar manner. With the components aligned, toothed segment 62B of idler
62 is in engagement with segment 61 C of pinion 61 and toothed segment 63B
of idler 63 is in engagement with the toothed segment of pinion 61 opposite
61 C. As a result of the engagement of the toothed segments, and the bolted
assembly of brackets 66, idlers 62 and 63 are maintained symmetrically disposed
with respect to pinion 61 about the generally vertical diameter of pinion 61. Bolts
220 are then inserted into apertures 221, and through spacers 222 which have
been positioned between brackets 66 and aligned with apertures 221. After the
ends of bolts 220 have passed through the apertures 221 in the opposite bracket
66, nuts 224 are affixed to hold the bolts in place and hold gear set 210 together
with pinion 61 maintained in a centered position by its toothed segments' 61C
and the one opposite it engagement with the toothed segments of 62B and 63B
of idlers 62 and 63, respectively.
The ends of axles 27, 28 may be conventionally connected to roller
bearings 70,71, which, in turn, are rotatably fitted within cylindrical bearings 72,
73 respectively. Bearing adapters 74,75 (shown and discussed in further detail
with respect to Fig. 7) rest atop and hold cylindrical bearings 72, 73,
respectively .
Accordingly, the loading on the truck, with respect to the side illustrated
in Fig. 2, is as follows. Some portion of the weight of the car body (including
lading and the car body itself), which may be more or less than half, depending
upon distribution, passes through the central post on the carbody into bowl 19
and into bolster 21. From bolster 21, the load is divided equally through side
frames 22, such that half the load proceeds through springs 35, 36, and the
other half through springs 33,34. Discussing now the loading for one side of thetruck 20 and referring to Fig. 2 (the loading being presumed to be symmetrical
in static conditions), from spring 35, a portion of the load passes through
-
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17
pedestal 25 onto axle 27. Since pedestal 25 rests upon idler gears 59, and the
one on the other side of pinion 61, these gears also bear a portion of the load,- which ensures that rack portions 54 remain in engaging contact with the idler
gears. From spring 36, a fraction of the load passes through pedestal 26 onto
axle 28. Since pedestal 26 is pivotably supported from pinion 58, this gear alsobears a portion of the load, which ensures that rack portion 55 remains in
engaging contact with pinion 58. The load path on the other side of truck 20 iS
identical, and truck 20 iS configured to be symmetrical about the longitudinal
extending axis, so that the static loading of the truck is substantially symmetrical
about the longitudinal axis of the truck, and preferably remains substantially
symmetrical even during movement of the truck, with the exception of transient
bumps, jolts, etc.
Since the components of the truck are "stacked" with vertical loading
passing through both the pinions and the idlers, this loading configuration can be
employed in the final finishing and assembly of the truck. The idlers and pinions,
rather than being finely ground and milled prior to assembly, as would otherwisetypically be done, can be relatively roughly finished, prior to assembly. Thus,
gears made, for example, by a manufacturing process such as by sintering can
be in suitable condition for assembly. Once assembled, the vertical loading willforce the gears to self-grind and "wear in" rapidly into a closely fitting and
smoothly fitting orientation. Substantial costs in the manufacturing and finishing
of the gears can thus be saved. Putting vertical loading on the gears also
contributes to a substantial reduction in gear backlash and gap between the
interfitting teeth, further enhancing the overall performance of the steering
mechanism.
When the truck encounters vertically displaced, irregular or banked track,
the pivotably supported pedestals and springs provide for the substantially
independent vertical movement of each end of each axle, with respect to the
respective opposite ends of the axles, and the other axles. Accordingly, when
the configuration of the track forces wheel 32 and one end of one axle 28
upwardly, the combination of action by springs 35,36 and the pivoting capabilityof side frame 22, ensure that the loading through the various components
-
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18
remains substantially uniformly divided through the two axle ends. This enables
the truck 20 to encounter such vertical disturbances, without being forced into
a steering mode, unlike typical prior art steerable trucks.
The springs 33 - 36 are not fixed at their ends to either the pedestals or
5 the side frames. Rather, each end of each spring has a spherical cap structure76 (see Figs. 8, 9A and 9B), which enables each spring to pivot, so as to ensurethat the ends of the spring are straight with respect to the main body of each
spring, assuring direct and even loading of the springs.
It is desirable to provide a damping mechanism for the support springs, in
10 much the same way that an automobile has shock absorbers to damp the
otherwise resultant vertica! oscillation that would be caused by the springs. Inone preferred embodiment of the invention, a spring structure 35 is shown in
which a cylindrical guide tube 240 might be provided, to connect spherical seats76. Seats 76 would insertingly receive tube 240 and be configured so that the
bottom seat 76 could move axially along tube 240 with the top seat preferably
being fixed to the guide tube. Flanges or ridges (not shown) could be provided
so as to prevent tube 240 from "falling out". A plurality of Belleville springs 250,
grouped in several alternating opposed series S (250A,250B), would be arranged
along guide tube 240, between the seats. Two or more sets of springs in series
20 are then arranged in facing "parallel" groups P. When a vertical load would be
placed on the structure, the Belleville spring series would be compressed, and
provide the resilient support. At the same time, the frictional rubbing of one
Belleville spring against the adjacent springs would provide frictional damping,to prevent undesired rebounding or extended oscillations. The utilization of
25 Belleville springs provides both spring support and damping, and is a preferred
construction for providing the spring support for the truck configuration of thepresent invention.
In an alternative embodiment, a coil spring 35' like that illustrated in Fig.
9A may be provided, and an elastomeric or other energy absorbing structure (not
30 shown) of a conventional type may be interdigitated between the coils of the
spring. A central guide tube, for supporting such an energy absorbing structure,and to help maintain the spring "straight", may also be utilized.
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19
The prompting mechanism for accomplishing radial movement of the axles
is shown in greater detail in Figs. 3 and 4C. Each of pinions 58, 61, has its teeth
preferably formed in a crowned herringbone pattern, such that the radii of the
teeth along the crown of each pinion, are greater than the radii of the teeth along
5 the inner and outer faces of each of pinions 58, 61. Similarly, the teeth of each
of the idler gears are preferably formed in a herringbone pattern. In addition, the
"top" of the crown for each gear is preferably configured to describe an arc,
which is concave toward the interior of the truck, to further accommodate the
lateral pivoting of the pedestals which will occur during steering. The herringbone
10 pattern helps maintain lateral stability of the pinions, idlers and racks relative to
one another, and prevent lateral shifting of one gear relative to the others.
Although the gear teeth are preferably in a herringbone pattern, in alternative
embodiments, other gear configurations may be employed. The diameters of the
idlers and pinions are preferably the same. The axial length of each of the idler
gears 62, 63 is substantially smaller than the axial length of the pinion 61 such
that the toothed segments of the pinion 61 extend laterally beyond each of the
sides of the idler gears, and, as illustrated in Fig. 4B, actually extend laterally
beyond brackets 66, preferably with no portion toothed segments 61 A and 61 B
within or in between brackets 66. Each of the pinion and idler gears is in the
form of a segmented gear, since the amount of maximum rotation required for
steering will never be more than a small fraction of one revolution.
Rack portion 56 of pedestal 23 is formed as a single tine, having tooth
sets 77 and 78 extending downward therefrom, with an elevated smooth portion
120 therebetween. Accordingly, when rack portion 56 is positioned on idler
gears 62, 63, or more specifically on toothed segments 62A and 63A within a
certain range of longitudinal movement, relative to the torque member 48, rack
portion 56 does not make contact with pinion 61.
Bifurcated rack portion 57 of pedestal 24 is formed as two tines, each
having a tooth set 79 which is positioned only adjacent the free end of the
respective tine. Rack portion 57 is positioned on pinion 61, or more particularly
on toothed segments 61 A and 61 B adjacent the outwardly extending portions of
the pinion. Within the range of longitudinal movement of pedestal 24 with
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respect to torque member 48 that occurs in the present invention, rack portion
57 does not make contact with either idler gears 62,63 or rack portion 56.
The various gears and other components of truck 20, making up the
prompting mechanism for the "other side" of truck 20, as seen in Fig. 1, are
arranged so as to be a mirror image of the configuration just described.
The prompting operation for prompting "radial" movement of the axles 27,
28 may now be described. Presume that a raiiroad car, having two such trucks
20 pivotably mounted by center posts on bowls 19, near the respective ends of
the car, is proceeding along a straight run of track, and proceeds into a turn.
Truck 20, illustrated in Fig. 2, will be the "front" truck of the car. The direction
of travel is indicated by arrow T, the direction of the turn indicated by arrow C.
The proper desired motion for each axle is to go radial, such that, with respectto truck 20, axle 28 will seek to pivot counterclockwise (relative to a plane
extending parallel to the plane of the axles), while axle 27 will seek to pivot
clockwise. Simultaneously, since truck 20, as a whole, will be seeking to pivot
initially clockwise, relative to the car body, the lower of longitudinal members 95
will be "pushed" to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, relative to truck 20 (arrow 1),
while the upper of longitudinal members 95 will be pulled to the left, as seen in
Fig. 2, relative to truck 20 (arrow ll).
It will be readily understood, for example with respect to Fig. 4C, that if
longitudinal member 95 is given a pulling force (toward the left), then torque
member 48 will be forced to rotate in a counterclockwise manner, as indicated
by the arrow. Pinion 61 will likewise be forced to rotate counterclockwise. Idler
gears 62 and 63 will rotate in the opposite, clockwise, direction. Rack 56 and all
of pedestal 23 would be urged to move forward (as indicated by the arrow),
away from torque member 48, while rack 57 and all of pedestal 24 would be
urged to move rearward (as indicated by the arrow), away from torque member
48. The effect of this movement would be to force the outer (with respect to theturn) ends of axles 27,28 away from each other.
At the same time, as previously described, the lower of longitudinal
members 95 (as seen in Figs. 1 and 3), would be pushed to the right (or
forwardly) relative to truck 20. The lower torque member 48 would be forced
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21
to rotate clockwise, as would pinion 58. The idler gears would rotate
counterclockwise. Rack 54 and all of pedestal 25 would be urged to move to the
left (rearward), while rack 55 and all of pedestal 26 would be urged to move to
the right (forwardly). The total effect would be to force the inner (with respect
to the turn) ends of axles 27 and 28 toward one another. The overall effect
achieved is the radial movement of the axles in a coordinated and uniform
manner.
As may be readily perceived, the truck positioned at the rear of the car
body would be mounted in an orientation rotated 180 degrees, from that
illustrated in Fig. 1, since the rear truck would rotate counterclockwise to the car
body, for a right turn relative to the indicated direction of travel. As the car body
leaves the curve to resume straight travel, the front truck (Fig. 1 ) will be rotated
counterclockwise relative to the car body, and the previously described
movements will be reversed, until the neutral position illustrated in Fig. 1 is
attained. The overall range and pattern of movements of the prompting
mechanism for axles 27 and 28 is suggested by Fig. 5, in which the neutral
positions of axles 27 and 28 and the corresponding wheels are indicated by the
solid line illustration while the pivoted positions are indicated by the phantom lines.
The rack portions of the pedestals are not rigidly held in place on the
gears. This is to enable the pedestals to pivot, in a horizontal plane, about
vertical axes extending upwardly through the respective pinions. Lateral struts
42-45, being pivotably mounted at their ends, assist in guiding and supporting
the pedestals in their horizontal pivoting movements. To further accommodate
the horizontal pivoting of the pedestals, each pinion, such as pinion 58 (Fig. 6),
has a crowned herringbone configuration, in which the crown describes an arc
which is concave toward the center of the truck. This curved crown enables the
teeth on the respective racks 55,57 to maintain a maximized amount of surface
area in contact with the pinions.
The present invention also includes an improved bearing adapter structure
which accommodates the various pivoting movements which the axles of the
truck of the present invention are expected to make. Fig. 7, for example,
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illustrates bearing adapter 74, with pedestal 25 being illustrated in phantom asenvironment.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each pedestal, such as
pedestal 25, will be provided with a concave, substantially spherical pocket, inthe location where, in a conventional truck construction, the roller bearings orother axle bearing members would be received. Preferably, a small cylindrical pin
80, would extend downward from the highest point in the spherical pocket.
Each bearing adapter 74, 75, would be constructed as having two major
portions. The upper portion 81, would have a convex, generally spherical
contour. The lower portion 82, would have a generally U-shaped configuration,
suitably formed for holding a conventional rail axle bearing structure, such as the
cylindrical axle bearings 72 as illustrated. Accordingly, lower portion 82, in the
embodiment illustrated, will have a semi-cylindrical channel 83 extending from
one side to the other of lower portion 82. Preferably, portions 81 and 82 would
be formed as a single piece of material. An arcuate slot 84 will be formed in the
upper portion 81, having a depth at least as great as the length of pin 80, and
a width slightly greater than the diameter of pin 80. Slot 84 will generally extend
in a plane parallel to channel 83.
In operation, once truck 20 has been set down upon its corresponding
wheel sets, and the cylindrical bearings received in channels 83, the bearing
adapters 74, 75, etc., will accommodate pivoting movement of the axles in all
directions. For example, as arrow Y indicates, when an axle "goes radial", it will
pivot to and from a position perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of its respective
pedestal, generally in a horizontal plane. Alternatively, adapter 74 is also
configured to accommodate pivoting of an axle about an axis extending parallel
to the lengthwise axis of the pedestals, as indicated by arrow R. Such pivoting
may occur, when banked or otherwise uneven rails are encountered, and the
pedestals of one side of the truck are forced to pivot upwardly, around their
respective pinion.
The present invention is also advantageously configured to maintain
enhanced linearity during so-called "bump steering." "Bump steering" refers to
longitudinal displacement of one or more of the axles, which is induced by
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vertical displacement of an individual wheel. Such vertical displacement may be
the result of joints between successive rail sections, flaws in the track, etc. The
suspension geometry of the truck apparatus of the present invention is
configured to reduce the amount of longitudinal displacement which occurs
during a bump.
A significant feature which enables the "bump steering" to have improved
linearity, is that the truck suspension is configured in such a way that, for anempty car resting on level track, the centerlines of the axles of the truck will be
below the top of the pinion.
The mechanics of "bump steering" are illustrated in the schematic
illustrations of Figs. 17 and 18. The steps are as follows:
A) The axle is vertically displaced as a result of some generally upward
force on the respective wheel;
B) The idlers pivot and rotate relative to the pinion;
C) The pinion rack rolls and pivots on the pinion changing the point of
contact (Fig. 1 7), or;
C1 ) The idler rack rolls on the idler changing the point of contact (Fig. 18);
D) The inclined pedestal length is greater than the horizontal pedestal
length by an amount equal to the rack rolling length;
E) Pivoting out of plane foreshortens the horizontal components of the
inclined pedestal length;
F) Pivoting out of plane increases the horizontal component of the vertical
pedestal length;
G) The sum of the rack rolling length, and the horizontal components of
the pedestal inclined length and the vertical pedestal lengths describe an axle
involute motion.
H) Optimizing the vertical pedestal length (utilizing otherwise conventional
design techniques) minimizes the horizontal components of the involute describedby the axle during the bump motion.
The vertical displacement which is to be provided between the axle
centerlines and the tops of the gears will depend upon the size and anticipated
loading of the truck, and the duty the truck will be expected to perform, and may
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24
be readily determined utilizing conventional design techniques by one of ordinary
skill in the art having the present disclosure before them.
The embodiments of the invention which are described and illustrated in
Figs. 1 - 17, provide for the improved controlled steering of a railroad truck
5 through curves, with a substantially more linear response to the steering input
to the truck provided by a rotational change in position of a truck 20 relative to
the car body to which it is attached, than has been heretofore believed possible.
That is, the amount of displacement of the axle ends to radially align the axlesof a truck, per unit of rotation of the truck relative to the car body, is
10 substantially uniform throughout the possible range of movement of the axles
that would result from a long rail car with, for example, 66 foot truck centers
negotiating curves having radii of curvature of 2865 to 7 16 feet. It is
contemplated that the deviation of the present invention from perfect steering in
such situations would only be of the order of magnitude of 0.0005 inches of axle15 displacement from perfectly radially aligned axles. (The output movement is
essentially a linear function of the input movement, relative to the magnitudes
of movements involved.) This linearity of movement assures even and controlled
steering, for enhanced efficiency, reduced wear and stability in curves.
The steerable truck apparatus according to the present invention is further
20 believed to possess the advantase, by virtue of its symmetrical configuration, of
having a uniform loading of forces on its structure, providing for uniform stress
management, uniform wear and uniform response during operation.
The steerable truck according to the present disclosure is adaptable for use
with both non-powered trucks (as illustrated) and powered trucks, with the
25 adaptation for powered trucks being readily accomplished by one of ordinary skill
in the art having the present disclosure before them.
The foregoing description and drawings merely serve to illustrate the
invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended
claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before
30 them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing
from the scope of the invention.
